Ashwini Vaishnaw apologises after AI Impact Summit chaos; promises smoother access

New Delhi: After the opening day of the India AI Impact Summit was hit by long queues, crowding and access confusion, an issue first reported by BestMediaInfo.com on Monday, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday apologised to attendees and said the organising team is working round-the-clock to smoothen operations.

Speaking at a briefing, Vaishnaw said the summit team has set up a “war room” to respond quickly to issues flagged by delegates.

“Whatever feedback you have, please share with us. We are open-minded. We have a war room operating right now...any issue which is there, please report to us. We definitely will take efforts to make it smoother and make it more enjoyable for all of you,” the minister said.

Vaishnaw also acknowledged the disruption seen on Day 1 and said, “If anybody has faced any problems yesterday, my apologies for that. We are working very hard. The entire team is working day and night to organise this world's biggest AI Summit, and we'll make all efforts to make sure it is enjoyable for all of you.”

The minister’s remarks come a day after the first day at Bharat Mandapam saw heavy footfall and repeated bottlenecks at entry points, with delegates and media personnel reporting delays, unclear instructions and inconsistent guidance on access credentials.

BestMediaInfo.com had reported on Monday that, hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled inauguration, the spotlight outside the venue shifted to missing lanyards, QR-code mismatches and contradictory instructions, leaving several journalists unsure about their accreditation status despite registering in advance.

At the centre of the confusion was the gap between registrations and physical credentials. 

Officials at different desks offered different counts of how many media registrations were received and how many passes were printed, while some journalists said they had QR codes without a “unique ID”, preventing lanyards from being issued. 

Others were advised to “do it via Digi Yatra” without clarity on how that would translate into entry access.

Vaishnaw said the organising team is taking feedback on board and will make efforts to ensure smoother access and a better on-ground experience over the remaining days.

The India AI Impact Summit is scheduled to continue through February 20, with sessions, showcases and stakeholder engagements involving government, industry, startups and global participants.